"Throughout
history, illegitimate children were precluded from, among other legal rights, entering
certain professions. The Book of Deuteronomy states: 'A bastard shall not enter into the
congregation of the Lord; even to this tenth generation shall he not enter into the
congregation of the Lord. 'Duet. 23:2. At common law, a child born out of wedlock,
referred to as a bastard, was considered a non-person and was not entitled to support from
the father or inheritance from either parent. 1 W. Blackstone, Commentaries 459; Davis
v. Houston, 2 Yeates 280 (1878)."

From Louisiana's Civil Code, Article. 238:

"Illegitimate children generally
speaking, belong to no family, and have no relations; accordingly they are not submitted
to the paternal authority, even when they have been legally acknowledged."

"I write . . . to express my
concern over the perpetuation of the offensive term 'illegitimate' in referring to a child
born to parents not married to each other. Certainly, 'illegitimate' is a better word than
'bastard,' a word common in earlier statutes and decisions. RCW 4.24.010, at issue in this
case, uses the term 'illegitimate child.' An innocent child is still stigmatized by that
reference. We have made great strides in amending statutes to remove age-old terms which
are offensive in our present-day society. The legislative process can use words which
convey the same meaning, but are less demeaning to children."